The control of phytopathogenetic fungi is of significant economic importance. Fungal growth on plants and plant portions--notably stems, blossoms, foliage and root systems--is known to inhibit growth of plants and to undesirably affect production of commercially valuable crops such as fruits, vegetables and seeds.
The use of nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds to provide fungicidally effective compositions is known in the art.
In particular, U.S. Pat. No. 4,202,894 to Pfiffner discloses a select class of heterocyclic compounds--principally morpholines and piperidines--which are said to be useful as fungicidal agents.
Additionally, 4-(3-(4-(1,1-dimethylethyl) phenyl)-2-methyl) propyl-2,6-(cis)-dimethylmorpholine--a compound that is said to possess activity as a systemic, foliar fungicide--is disclosed in Agricultural Chemicals, Book IV--Fungicides, 1991 Revision, by W. T. Thomson, Thomson Publications, P.O. Box 9335, Fresno, Calif. 93791 at page 142.
Those skilled in the art know there is an ongoing, continual need to develop new compounds that provide ever more effective fungicidai activity against the scourge of phytopathogenetic fungi.
While organic compounds of the above-mentioned prior art may be generally classified as nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds, those skilled in the art know that the sorts of heterocyclic compounds as are disclosed in the above-mentioned prior art, are characterized by structure which is markedly distinguishable from a substituted 2-propenyl derivative of a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compound.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,950,671 to Lai and Davis (two of us) discloses substituted 2-propenyl derivatives of pyridine, which include a substituted benzene ring. Those skilled in the art are well aware that such structure is clearly distinguishable from a substituted thiophene.
In particular, various substituents have been synthesized onto the thiophene ring of our present invention, thus making our new compounds structurally unique and distinguishable from the prior art.
It is, of course, imperative that any new fungicides that come onto the market and which possess desired fungicidal activity not possess any undesirable activity.